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Re: Bourbon Thread

Originally Posted by vaticanplum

Hilariously, of all the bourbon/rye cocktails, the Old Fashioned is the one that I would say I've always heard is definitely a rye drink I guess it depends on which bartender you talk to. And the song "Make It Another Old-Fashioned Please" references rye so I always have that in my head.

I also grew up being told that you're never supposed to drink whiskey or bourbon totally straight. They dry out as they age, so you're supposed to add just a splash of water to release the flavor. However, I order whiskey this way all the time and most of the time the bartender misunderstands and gives it to me on the rocks or neat, so this may be an obscure/untrue thing as well. Really I know very little about whiskey, just that I like it. I'm not very discerning.

I'm going strictly on origin when I say it's made with bourbon. It was invented in Louisville by (or in honor or) a bourbon lover:

Cocktail lore traces the old-fashioned to late-nineteenth-century Louisville, specifically the Pendennis Club, where the drink was purportedly invented by (or perhaps in honor of) Col. James E. Pepper, a patriarch of Kentucky bourbon whiskey who also kept a successful stable of Thoroughbreds.

Re: Bourbon Thread

No, I’m talking about the original Manhattan. The daring, woodsier Manhattan of the 1800s —when New York City was only Manhattan and its eponymous cocktail was the boss of all drinks. Back then, bartenders left out the gloppy maraschino cherries — those didn’t arrive at our shores until 1900 or so — and made the drink exclusively with rye whiskey, bourbon’s sharper-tongued cousin. (For an analogy, think of the difference between rye bread and corn bread). In all likelihood, that rye whiskey came from upstate New York, because, as Ralph Erenzo points out, “There were 1,200 distilleries operating in New York before Prohibition.”

Re: Bourbon Thread

Originally Posted by Rojo

Just get the cheapest. Otherwise you'll be overpaying for an incremental quality increase that you won't be able to discern.

You think so? In my experiences, this can go either way. To me, there is a noticeable difference between say Jack Daniels and JD Single Barrel. Same is true with some scotches, as Johnnie Walker Red does not taste the same as Johnnie Walker Black. Although, Macallan 18 I don't think tastes so different (better) than Macallan 12.

I guess I could always start off with a cheaper bottle and see how that goes.

Re: Bourbon Thread

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

You think so? In my experiences, this can go either way. To me, there is a noticeable difference between say Jack Daniels and JD Single Barrel. Same is true with some scotches, as Johnnie Walker Red does not taste the same as Johnnie Walker Black. Although, Macallan 18 I don't think tastes so different (better) than Macallan 12.

I guess I could always start off with a cheaper bottle and see how that goes.

Like most here I'm not going to claim to have a very sophisticated palate, however I can tell a decided difference in the various Four Roses. I enjoy most all of them, but I do think some of the higher end bottles fall into the 'warm' variety instead of the 'burn' variety that cheaper bourbons will subject your throat to.

Re: Bourbon Thread

Originally Posted by Joseph

Like most here I'm not going to claim to have a very sophisticated palate, however I can tell a decided difference in the various Four Roses. I enjoy most all of them, but I do think some of the higher end bottles fall into the 'warm' variety instead of the 'burn' variety that cheaper bourbons will subject your throat to.

I toured their distillery a few weeks ago. Great time for anyone that has the opportunity. They give you great information on the differences between their three primary bourbon offerings. This gives a good breakdown of how and why the different recipes vary: http://fourrosesbourbon.com/the-process/

Also, little known fact about Four Roses: they produce two bourbon lines that are not available in the United States. They are only available in Japan.

Re: Bourbon Thread

Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

You think so? In my experiences, this can go either way. To me, there is a noticeable difference between say Jack Daniels and JD Single Barrel. Same is true with some scotches, as Johnnie Walker Red does not taste the same as Johnnie Walker Black. Although, Macallan 18 I don't think tastes so different (better) than Macallan 12.

I guess I could always start off with a cheaper bottle and see how that goes.

Couldn't agree more. The differences are stark. Now that being said, I'm not sure I'd pay $50 more for a Four Roses limited edition single barrel over their regular single barrel.

But I'm basically a middle-brow guy. From TV's to booze, I always pay just enough for good enough. I won't touch the cheap stuff but plain ol' Four Roses is like the Buick of Bourbons.

The widow is gathering nettles for her children's dinner; a perfumed seigneur, delicately lounging in the Oeil de Boeuf, hath an alchemy whereby he will extract the third nettle and call it rent. ~ Carlyle

Re: Bourbon Thread

Originally Posted by wolfboy

I toured their distillery a few weeks ago. Great time for anyone that has the opportunity. They give you great information on the differences between their three primary bourbon offerings. This gives a good breakdown of how and why the different recipes vary: http://fourrosesbourbon.com/the-process/

Also, little known fact about Four Roses: they produce two bourbon lines that are not available in the United States. They are only available in Japan.

For decades they didn't sell Four Roses straight bourbon in the U.S. at all. I remember it being a big deal last decade when they started distributing it again.

For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible

Re: Bourbon Thread

Originally Posted by IslandRed

For decades they didn't sell Four Roses straight bourbon in the U.S. at all. I remember it being a big deal last decade when they started distributing it again.

Yeah, kind of a strange history. The connection with Bulleit Bourbon is also one I can't quite sort out. When I toured the distillery last month, our guide said that Four Roses used to distill Bulleit Bourbon. Maybe I misheard, but everything I read on the interwebs seems to indicate that they still do. Who to believe?

Re: Bourbon Thread

I will post more later. I don't have a sophisticated palate, but I do enjoy good mid-range bourbons. The bourbon I always keep in stock is Old Forester. It is my go to, "I want a bourbon" bourbon. Although I do enjoy Four Roses, I haven't found a bourbon I like as much as Woodford Reserve for less than twice its cost. I also enjoy Bulleit, Bakers, Knob Creek, Big Ass, Weller 12yo, and Evan Williams single barrell. I always thought that Makers Mark is over-hyped. Lastly, even though is isn't bourbon I do enjoy Jack and Gentleman Jack, they are not my favorites but I won't turn one away.

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